The Japanese Thread

Originally Posted by subpain

Why would you romanize it as Toukyou? Not that it even matters, but it just looks silly. The official romanization is Tokyo. Even Japanese people don't write it as Toukyou. If anything it'd be Tōkyō.

Since you seem nitpicky about romanization, it should be Tsudzukete haha. But つづけて and つづけた are both forms of the verb つづける which does, indeed, mean to continue. The first one is て形 while the latter is the plain-past form.

Yes, Toukyou looks stupid...But I don't have ō on my computer. I would have to go open up word and click insert symbol. I'm too lazy to do that all the time.
Yes, I have heard that seeing づ this kana isn't very common. Is that true?
Personally, I like We and wi. They look cool.

Originally Posted by subpain

Haha yeah, they don't allow people without prior knowledge to come, at least not in the program I was with. They required at least a year of prior learning. Though, I found when I got here a lot of what I had learnt in High School was absolutely useless.

Ouch that sucks. That also happened to me when I came to the US. Half of the English I learned I never used. >_>

That's why you have to do studying outside of school, which I've seen you've both done. I know school helps but I know it doesn't really prepare you for anything. I took 5 years of Spanish and can still barly understand it. Oh well, I'm actually trying different things with Japanese.

Off topic: Mafoofoo, how could they make you do that to Lady, it kinda ruins that pic in my opinion.

Edit: lucky 3s post

Originally Posted by squall24

Off topic: Mafoofoo, how could they make you do that to Lady, it kinda ruins that pic in my opinion.

Apparently Lady's choice of clothing is pretty..."showy". So they had me cover the cleavage. But I do agree that the picture does look ruined.

Originally Posted by Mafoofoo

Ouch that sucks. That also happened to me when I came to the US. Half of the English I learned I never used. >_>

Haha yeah, seriously, some of the English in textbooks here gets some raised eyebrows from me. It doesn't help that half the teachers can't even speak English themselves. Some in my school have never even been abroad before.

Hahaha sounds almost like my school back in Shibuya.

Are you guys referring to casual over formal when you say a lot of stuff you learn is never used?

Yeah, people just don't speak the way they teach in classes. Some of the basics I picked up, but I've learnt much, much more in the time I've spent here than I ever learned in a classroom back in Australia.

Originally Posted by Blizzaga

Are you guys referring to casual over formal when you say a lot of stuff you learn is never used?

I think that they mean that Japanese people will often take particles out of the sentence if something is obvious. We would never say: This tree or something to that effect.
They might also be saying that the dictionary/informal verbs are used more frequently than the -masu verbs. I like the -masu form better in my opinion.

I've been tripped up a couple of times in class actually. Since I was mainly teaching myself through reading I was probably picking up on stuff I wasn't supposed to. When we learn verbs we have to use the -masu forms. While it isn't a big deal I'm more used to hearing or reading 何をする　To　何をします. There have been a couple of other instances I believe where I put something down that was more casual then it was supposed to be. Oh well, I guess I should just learn the basics they teach me and then add from there.

I'm just wanting to learn the Kanji the best I can. First I am starting with Writing and meaning, then I will go for pronunciation. But I don't know if repitition is the best way to learn. I believe it would be best to go from Level 4 to Level 1. I'm trying to find a PDF that has all the Level 1 Kanji, so far I have Level 4 through 2 PDFs.
Squall, You wouldn't happen to have a list of vocabulary (from your class or somewhere) that I SHOULD be learning just starting Japanese?

I'm using a textbook, each chapter has a list of words to learn(we don't have to learn the kanji now, but on our next test is when we get into it). I would scan some of the pages if it wasn't illegal. If you want to know some Kanji I own a book called "2000 essential Kanji". To me it is pretty helpful. It shows you the stroke count and such. If you do want I can type up a sample of some of the vocabulary that we have had, just not all of it. That way it won't be a direct scan.

Anata
You

Arrigato Gozaimasu
Thank you

Domo Arrigato Gozaimasu
Thank you

Dozo
Please

Eigo
English language

Eigo ga wakarimasu ka?
Do you understand English?

Gomen Nasai
Pardon me

Hai
Yes

Hai, wakarimasu?
Yes, I understand.

Iie
No

Iie, wakarimasen
No, I don't understand.

Originally Posted by Slur.exe

You wouldn't happen to have a list of vocabulary (from your class or somewhere) that I SHOULD be learning just starting Japanese?

From what Japanese textbooks I have seen, The ones by Cornell's Mari Noda are pretty good.

Originally Posted by squall24

I'm using a textbook, each chapter has a list of words to learn(we don't have to learn the kanji now, but on our next test is when we get into it). I would scan some of the pages if it wasn't illegal. If you want to know some Kanji I own a book called "2000 essential Kanji". To me it is pretty helpful. It shows you the stroke count and such. If you do want I can type up a sample of some of the vocabulary that we have had, just not all of it. That way it won't be a direct scan.

Eh, I scan book pages all the time. You can e-mail/PM scanned book pages. Or, I am completely fine if you just type up some Vocabulary.
I looked up that book on amazon, it looks nice. I think I might buy it ^^ I've seen some pretty hefty books at Barnes & Noble that are very helpful, but expensive. Unfortunately each book has good things, but is lacking important information. And Most only had under 1000 Kanji.
Thank you.

Originally Posted by mafoofoo

From what Japanese textbooks I have seen, The ones by Cornell's Mari Noda are pretty good.

I don't think that I am going to be buying any textbooks. Too big and expensive. But from how they look on Amazon, they look nice.

There is this book called Remembering the Kanji By and American named James W. Heisig. I guess they are suppose to be good.